Mimi’s Daisy Chains Quilted Throw

It is a thrill to be back at the Bake Shop today. Nothing charms my geeky soul like designing a quilt and writing directions for it. Nothing comes close…except for memories of my Nanny. I grew up in a household that had room for the whole family. There was always room for one more. My maternal grandparents were a daily presence and made my life that much richer. I know in some homes, especially in the American South, Nanny would have been called Mimi, so my thought turned to her as I finished this quilt.

Nanny was English – naturalized as an American as a little girl – she never lost that lovely English way of doing things…nor the accent! Gosh I miss her. She would have loved this fabric line. I can imagine her sitting with me on top of this quilt playing board games, or snuggled under it on the front porch reading together. It isn’t a hard stretch at all, even 13 years after she celebrated her last birthday.

Spring time, little girls, grandmothers, it all combines to make a great song…sweet and homey. This quilt is the product of that song. I hope you like it.

Break time – if you have done all of that cutting you need to take a break now. Make yourself a tall cold drink. Go outside and enjoy the sunshine. Stretch your back. Breath. Mimi would want you to.

Sewing Directions:

Make Blocks– This quilt is made from 13 large, nine patch blocks. There are 9 with a light background (dominant background) and 4 with a secondary background. Set on point these create a fun argyle effect. The blocks are made the same way regardless of the color of the background.

Make Snowball Units:

Snowball unit

Gather

52, 5″x 5″ squares (in sets of 4) – flower petals

13, 5″x 5″ squares – flower centers

180, 1 3/4″x 1 3/4″ squares – dominant background

80, 1 3/4″x 1 3/4″ squares – secondary background

Draw a line diagonally across the wrong side of all (260) 1 3/4″x 1 3/4″ squares

Sort – to keep the backgrounds with the right flower petals and centers

Dominant Squares

180, 1 3/4″x 1 3/4″ squares – dominant background

9, 5″x 5″ squares – flower centers

9 sets of 4, 5″x 5″ squares – flower petals

Secondary Squares

80, 1 3/4″x 1 3/4″ squares -secondary background

4, 5″x 5″ squares – flower centers

4 sets of 4, 5″x 5″ squares – flower petals

Place Secondary group to the side.

With right sides together align one 1 3/4″x1 3/4″ square with the corner of one 5″x 5″ square so that the diagonal line cuts across the corner.

Sew along diagonal line, just to the outside of it….closer to the corner than the body of the larger square.

Trim the background fabric

1/4″ from stitch line

to the outside of stitch line – on the side of the tiny outer corner.

Iron little square in half along the sew line.

Repeat process with remaining corners of 5″x5″ square.

Trim block back to 5″x 5″ if needed. This is a pain, but well worth the effort as you blocks will sew together more neatly.

Repeat process 44 times with remaining centers and petals in group for 45 snowball blocks with dominant background corners.

Repeat process with secondary group for 20 snowball blocks with secondary background corners.

Make Daisy Chain Blocks:

Gather

45 snowball blocks with dominant background corners

36, 5″x 5″ squares – dominant background

20 snowball blocks with secondary background corners

16, 5″x 5″ squares – secondary background

Sort – pieces into 13 stacks each containing the following 9 pieces:

4 matching petal snowballs

1 center snowball with matching background corners

4, 5″x 5″ squares – background to match corners of petals and center

Arrange pieces from 1 stack so that they look like the picture below.

Daisy Chain Block

Sew rows

rows 1 & 3

background square, petal, background square

iron seam allowances towards the background square

row 2

petal, center, petal

iron seam allowances towards the center

Sew rows together to make block

Repeat 12 times for 13 blocks.

Assemble Center of Quilt Top:

Mimi’s Daisy Chains is arranged on point. The rows are assembled at a 45 degree angle…well, no you don’t have to sit wonky in your chair…the rows are assembled just like the rows of any quilt, but they are set at an angle in the finished quilt.

This is a good time to drag out your design wall….otherwise know as the floor, your bed, the living room drapes, or shower curtain. You need a big flat surface on which to arrange the blocks to your liking. It shouldn’t be too hard…there are only 13 blocks, and 4 of those are limited to where they can go. Ultimately I don’t think it is going to matter too much where each block goes…but you need to be happy with the arrangement. Take the time now to arrange them and you will be happier later.

Row Assembly

Gather:

13 Daisy Chain blocks

10 3/8″ x 10 3/8″ square border fabric (for setting corners)

2, 20 3/4″ x 20 3/4″ squares border fabric (for setting edges)

Stabilize setting triangles – These pieces are going to be the edges of your quilt before you attache the inner border. Because of their size and the fact that they are cut on the bias they will be very stretchy. Take a moment now to stabilize them. You will be glad you did.

For setting sides:

Gather 2, 20 3/4″ x 20 3/4″ squares

Iron and starch them liberally.

Draw 2 diagonal lines on the wrong side of each.

Using a single layer of fabric sew next to, about 3/16″ from each side of the lines

It will look like a big double X sewn onto a single layer of fabric.

Cut on lines

For setting corners:

Gather 2, 10 1/2″ x 10 1/2″ squares

Iron and starch them liberally

Draw 1 diagonal line on the wrong side of each.

Using a single layer of fabric sew next to, about 3/16″ from each side of the lines

Cut on lines.

Assemble rows

When working with setting triangles

Align the right angled corner with the corner of your daisy chain block.

When working with corner triangles

Find the center of the hypotenuse

Find the center of the block to which you are attaching the triangle

Pin centers, right sides together.

Pin from center out to the edges

There should be a tiny 1/4″ bunny ear sticking over the edge.

Iron seam allowance towards the dominant background

Sew rows together to make top.

Pin rows together starting with center squares.

Pin seams for large blocks first then pin seams within the blocks

There should be a bunny ear sticking over the edge where the setting triangles meet the ends of your rows.

Add final two setting triangles to complete square.

Add Borders:

Border Assembly

Gather

Center of quilt top

6, 1 1/2″ x wof strips – inner border fabric

7, 5″ x wof strips – outer border fabric

Inner border

Sew 2 wof strips together along a 1 1/2″ side

Iron seam allowance open

Attach to side of quilt

Iron seam allowance towards border

Trim excess

Sew remnant to 1 wof strip along a 1 1/2″ side

Iron seam allowance o pen

Attach to parallel side of quilt

Iron seam allowance towards border

Trim excess

Repeat process with remaining sides of quilt.

Outer border

Sew 2 wof strips together along a 5″ side

Iron seam allowance open

Attach to side of quilt

Iron seam allowance towards border

Trim excess

Sew Iron seam allowance o pen

Attach to parallel side of quilt

Iron seam allowance towards border

Trim excess

Repeat process with remaining sides of quilt.

Finishing – Layer and quilt as desired

Don’t forget to add a label!

4,900 square inches (70’x70′) of day dreaming loveliness; a magic carpet of meadow flowers; a safe place on a rainy summer day; sweet memories of Mimi.

Please share a photo of your finished quilt with my group, Tops to Treasures on Flickr.

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